1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga

Business users have long been fans of Lenovo’s ThinkPad series, and this year’s offering looks to continue that trend.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a convertible, meaning you can detach the screen to use as a tablet, so if that functionality is important to you, this could be the laptop for you this year.

It’s been praised for its long battery life, vibrant display and strong keyboard, but be warned: the screen is very reflective and the hinge can be stiff and noisy.

2. Apple Macbook Pro with Touch Bar

Macbooks are often a favourite for business owners, and this one brings some exciting new features.

The new Macbook Pro has a customisable touch bar at the top of they keyboard which you can program to suit your needs. Ever the innovators, Apple have removed the USB ports from this model, but you can buy adapters if you need to use USBs.

People have expressed disappointment with the battery life of the new Macbook Pro, and it is one of the more expensive laptops on this list. If you use a lot of creative applications, such as Photoshop, the Macbook Pro is a good bet. Otherwise, it might be worth considering one of the Windows alternatives.

3. Acer Chromebook 14 for Work

At the other end of the spectrum is Acer’s Chromebook 14 for Work. Although Chromebooks aren’t often thought of as business laptops, if you’re looking for something light-touch this could be the right laptop for you.

The Chromebook 14 for Work loads incredibly quickly and comes with the Google Play Store, so you can download apps like Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel, if you prefer those to the Google suite. However, if you’re looking for something with more power, you may want to try one of the others.

4. Microsoft Surface Book 2

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is another convertible, allowing you to use it as both a laptop and a tablet.

One of the key features is that you can get a version with a dedicated graphics card, meaning that video and photo editing are entirely possible. The battery life is surprisingly impressive, and you can get a 13.5 and 15 inch version (though the 15 inch version is currently only available in the US).

The Surface Book 2 is another of the more pricey laptops on this list, which does make it slightly irritating that it doesn’t actually come with a stylus.

5. HP Stream 14

The HP Stream 14 is one of the cheapest laptops available at the moment, and a great choice if you’ve not got a lot of spare cash but need something for business use.

It’s a viable alternative to the Chromebook if you’re a die-hard windows user or need certain programs that aren’t available on the Chromebook’s operating system.

Don’t expect an awful lot of processing power from the HP Stream 14, and if you’re planning to take the laptop to business meetings, you might want to opt for white, though it does come in a number of bright colours.